Early returns have most scores inflated by preseason football on Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS, but the reality show's elimination episode paces well ahead of the competition.

A slew of preseason NFL games saw preemptions on the big four Thursday night. As a result, Fast National returns are inflated, and a more accurate portrait of primetime returns will be available later on Friday.

Still, Big Brother had a significant advantage over the night's other original broadcasts. CBS averaged a 1.9 rating with adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers for the night. The network has now hit a full week of blackouts among some subscribers in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles, prompted by a carriage dispute with Time Warner Cable.